Italy’s coffee is known for being molto buono (very good).
But ordering coffee in Italy isn’t as straightforward as it seems. Italian culture can be very different from what you might be used to.
So if you ask for your usual coffee order, even if it has a very Italian sounding name, the barista might not know what you mean. Here, you’ll learn the most common coffee types that you can get in Italy and useful phrases for ordering them.
Caffè
Pronunciation: Kahf-FEH
Italians don’t usually ask for an “espresso”. They ask for a caffè.
Caffè is the general word for coffee, but it’s also the word you use when you want to order an espresso, or strong shot of coffee.
A caffè is usually served in a small cup and you drink it quickly, maybe even standing at the bancone (bar). Since coffee is a quick drink, you’re not losing much time by stopping to have one, so it’s not very common for Italians to order it to take away.
For example:
Vorrei un caffè. -I’d like an espresso (lit. a coffee).
Un caffè per favore. -An espresso (lit. a coffee) please.
A caffè is served in a small cup and drunk quickly, sometimes at the bar.
Caffè macchiato
Pronunciation: Kahf-FEH mahk-KYAH-toh
If you find an espresso too strong by itself, you can order it with a bit of milk. This is called a caffè macchiato. It literally means “coffee stained”, because the coffee is stained by the milk.
Usually the milk has been heated, but you can ask for the milk to be cold, or the barista might ask you what you prefer.
If you want a caffè macchiato with hot milk, you ask for a caffè macchiato caldo. Caldo is the Italian word for “hot”. If you want it with cold milk, it’s a caffè macchiato freddo. Freddo is Italian for “cold”.
For example:
Posso avere un caffè macchiato? -Can I have a caffè macchiato?
Prendo un caffè macchiato freddo. -I’ll have a caffè macchiato with cold milk.
A caffè macchiato is an espresso shot with a drop of frothy milk on the top
Latte macchiato
Pronunciation: LAH-teh mahk-KYAH-toh
A latte macchiato is kind of the inverse of a caffè macchiato. Instead of staining the coffee with milk, you’re staining the milk with coffee.
Attenzione (watch out) if you order a latte in Italy. Latte is just the Italian for “milk”, so you might end up with a glass of milk instead.
But if you want something similar to the latte that you can order at home, a latte macchiato is a good option.
For example:
Vorrei un latte macchiato. -I’d like a latte macchiato .
Un latte macchiato e un cornetto per favore -A latte macchiato and a croissant please
Un latte macchiato con un cornetto - a latte macchiato and a croissant
Caffè americano
Pronunciation: Kahf-FEH ah-meh-ree-KAH-noh
A caffè americano is an espresso diluted with water, so it’s not as strong. It’s the same as the standard “americano” that you can get abroad.
An americano is also the name of a cocktail in Italy, so it’s best to use the full name ( caffè americano ) to emphasise that you want the coffee and not the alcohol.
For example:
Per me un caffè americano. -An americano for me.
Posso avere un caffè americano? -Can I have an americano?
An americano is an espresso with extra water, so it’s not as strong
Cappuccino
Pronunciation: Kahp-pooc-CHEE-noh
To make a cappuccino , Italians add equal parts coffee, steamed milk and milk foam.
You might have already heard that you’re not supposed to have a cappuccino after 11 am in Italy. That’s because it’s considered more of a breakfast drink, although no one will arrest you for breaking the food rules if you have a cappuccino later in the day.
For example:
Un cappuccino decaffeinato per favore. -A decaf cappuccino please.
Vorrei un cappuccino con latte di soia. -I’d like a cappuccino with soy milk.
A cappuccino is a milky, heavier type of coffee, so Italians usually only have it for breakfast
Caffè shakerato
Pronunciation: Kahf-FEH shah-keh-RAH-toh
A caffè shakerato (literally “shaken coffee”) is perfect for a hot summer’s day in Italy because it’s a cold drink.
It’s made with a shot of espresso, ice and sugar, shaken together in a cocktail shaker.
For example:
Che caldo! Prendo un caffè shakerato. -How hot! I’ll have a shaken iced coffee.
Mi piace molto il caffè shakerato. -I really like shaken iced coffee.
A caffè shakerato often gets served in a tall glass, like this one. It looks like a cocktail, but it’s alcohol free.
Ginseng
Pronunciation: JEEN-seng
Ginseng coffee is made with coffee and ginseng root. It tastes sweet, nutty and slightly herbal.
Because it’s already sweet, you might want to try it first before adding any zucchero (sugar).
When you order a ginseng, the barista will ask you if you want it in a tazza piccola (small cup) or a tazza grande (big cup).
For example:
- Vorrei un ginseng. -I’d like a ginseng coffee.
- Tazza piccola o tazza grande? -Small cup or large cup?
A caffè ginseng served in a tazza grande (large cup)
Crema di caffè
Pronunciation: KREH-mah dee kahf-FEH
A crema di caffè (also known as crema al caffè ) is similar to coffee ice-cream. It’s made with espresso, sugar and cream. Sometimes it’s also made with milk or ice.
Crema di caffè is served from a machine that constantly stirs it to keep it smooth and frothy. So if you spot one of those machines in an Italian coffee shop, now you know what it’s for.
You can order a crema di caffè for breakfast or a merenda (afternoon snack).
For example:
Oggi prendo una crema di caffè. -Today I’ll have a coffee cream.
Questa crema di caffè è molto buona! -This coffee cream is really good!
A crema di caffè has a thick texture and is similar to coffee ice-cream
Useful Words and Phrases for Ordering Coffee
| Un caffè per favore | A coffee please | Oon kah-FEH pehr fah-VOH-reh |
| Vorrei un caffè | I’d like a coffee | Vor-ray oon kahf-FEH |
| Prendo un caffè | I’ll have (lit. I take) a coffee | PREHN-doh oon kahf-FEH |
| Per me un caffè | A coffee for me | Pehr meh oon kahf-FEH |
| Posso avere un caffè decaffeinato? | Can I have a decaf coffee? | POHS-soh ah-VEH-re oon kahf-FEH deh-kaf-fay-ee-NAH-toh |
| Posso avere un po’ d’acqua?* | Can I have a bit of water? | POHS-soh ah-VEH-re oon poh DAHK-kwah |
| Latte di soia | Soy milk | LAH-teh dee SOY-ah |
| Latte d’avena | Oat milk | LAH-teh dah-VEH-nah |
For example:
Un cappuccino con latte di soia per favore -A cappucino with soy milk please
*You might get a little glass of water with your coffee in Italy. It’s probably meant to cleanse your mouth before the coffee, but we can’t say for sure where the tradition comes from. If they don’t serve it automatically, you can ask for one.
Ordering Coffee in Italian: Tips for Your Next Trip to Italy: Review
| Caffè | This is what Italians order when they want an espresso. It’s also the general word for coffee. |
| Caffè macchiato | An espresso “stained” with a bit of milk. |
| Latte macchiato | Hot milk “stained” with a bit of coffee. |
| Caffè americano | This is the same as the standard americano. It’s an espresso, but diluted. |
| Cappuccino | Equal parts coffee, steamed milk and milk foam. Usually ordered as a breakfast drink. |
| Caffè shakerato | Coffee, ice and sugar, mixed together in a cocktail shaker. |
| Ginseng | Coffee and ginseng root. It’s a sweet coffee served in either a small or big cup. |
| Crema di caffè | Coffee, cream and sugar. It’s similar to coffee ice-cream. |
K: Ciao a tutti e benvenuti! Hi everyone and welcome to “Learn Italian with Joy of Languages”.
M: In this episode, you’ll learn different types of coffee in Italian, so you can see which one you’d like to order the next time you’re in Italy.
K: You’ll also hear some common mistakes, or things Italian baristas might find confusing when you order coffee, so you can order yours smoothly like the locals do.
But before we get started, can we ask you a quick favore ? If you’re listening to this on your podcast app, could you click the subscribe or follow button? This way you’ll get notified when we release a new episode and you’ll help our podcast grow so we can keep making free lessons like this. Grazie !
K: So the first type of coffee you can order is:
M: Un caffè (x2) .
K: Caffè actually just means coffee in Italian, so it’s also the general word for it. But it’s also the word you use to order an espresso.
M: In Italy, the standard, normal coffee that we drink is a shot of espresso, so when we order un caffè, it’s an espresso.
K: To order one of these you can say:
M: Vorrei un caffè . Literally:
Vorrei - I would like
Un - a
Caffè - coffee
Vorrei un caffè
K: Vorrei, or I would like, is a handy word because you can use it to order any of the coffee types we talk about in this episode.
M: Another important thing to know about caffè is that it’s something that Italians drink quickly. For example, we might stand and drink it at the bancone , or counter. Il bancone.
K: For this same reason, it’s also not that common for Italians to get coffee to take away. Because it’s something you drink fast, you’re not really losing time by stopping to have it. And Italians in general aren’t ones to eat and drink on the go. All food and drink usually has its proper time and place.
M: And when Italians stop to get a coffee, they go to a bar . It seems the same word as bar in English, like the place to get cocktails, but bar is the Italian word for a coffee shop.
K: A little note on the pronunciation of coffee in Italian so you can say it the real Italian way. It has two f’s, so it means we have to hold the sound just a little longer. So it’s not “café”, but caffè .
M: Caffè (x2)
K: As we’ve mentioned Italians usually drink their caffè as a strong shot.
M: There’s also a difference between the North and South. In the South, it’s even shorter and even stronger, that’s how I like it, when it’s really short, it’s thicker and creamier.
K: Because it’s so strong, it’s quite common, even amongst Italians, to add a bit of milk to take the edge off. This is called:
M: Un caffè macchiato (x2) .
K: This literally means:
M:
Un - a
Caffè - coffee
Macchiato - stained
K: Macchiato means stained, which kind of makes sense – the milk kind of stains the coffee, that’s where the name comes from. It’s just a small amount of milk and it’s still served in a small cup.
M: If you order un caffe macchiato, the milk is usually heated before it’s added to the coffee.
K: But in summer Italians sometimes order it with cold milk, so the barista might ask you which way you prefer.
M: If you order one with hot milk, you can ask for un caffè macchiato caldo. Literally:
Un - A
Caffè - coffee
Macchiato - stained
Caldo - hot
And if it’s cold, it’s un caffè macchiato freddo. Literally:
Un - a
Caffè - coffee
Macchiato - stained
Freddo - cold
M: Sometimes you also get served water with your coffee in Italy. Traditionally it should be sparkling water, but it can depend. People often say that it’s because it kind of cleanses your mouth before the coffee, so that you can taste the aromas.
K: You can drink caffè or caffè macchiato at any time of day, including after lunch or dinner. But you may have heard of one type of coffee you can’t have after about 11 o’clock.
M: Un cappuccino (x2)
K: My dad often orders one after lunch or dinner and I always feel a bit awkward ordering it because Italians often see it as a breakfast drink. It’s not very common to drink it later in the day and I’ve never seen an Italian order it after a meal. Why is that?
M: [...]
K: [...]
M: Now you know the Italian way, but of course, you should feel free to enjoy your time in Italy and order what you like when you like!
K: The pronunciation of cappuccino is tricky because we spell it with two p’s and two c’s.
M: To say it the Italian way, we have to make the p and c sounds longer: cappuccino (x2). And to make a cappuccino , Italians add equal parts coffee, steamed milk and milk foam.
K: What about a latte? This is actually the Italian word for milk, so if you order a latte, you might get served a glass of milk. If you want the kind of coffee we mean in English speaking countries when we order a latte, which is cup of milk with a shot of coffee in it, you can order
M: Un latte macchiato (x2). Literally:
Un - a
Latte - milk
Macchiato - stained
K: Here the milk is “stained” with coffee. With a latte macchiato , we stain a cup of milk with a shot of coffee. It’s kind of the opposite of the small caffè macchiato you heard about earlier, where we stain a shot of coffee with a splash of milk in a small cup.
K: The next type of coffee is:
M: Un caffè americano (x2) .
K: If you want a standard black coffee that people drink in many other countries, this is the one to order. It’s basically espresso watered down so it’s longer and not as strong. You can also just say un americano (x2).
M: But be careful! An americano is also the name for a cocktail in Italy, so depending on the time of day, you might get a drink you weren’t expecting.
K: If you’re ordering coffee at a bar at a time where Italians are meeting for aperitivo, pre-dinner drinks, it helps to specify: un caffè americano.
K: Another thing about Italian coffee is that you don’t normally find different sizes.
M: Even though you see different sizes in places like Starbucks with Italian sounding names like grande and venti , the actual Italian way is to offer one standard size.
K: All the coffee types we’ve mentioned so far are hot, but what about a cold coffee? You could order un caffè shakerato, one of my favourite drinks made with espresso, ice and zucchero, or sugar, often in syrup form, shaken up together in a cocktail shaker. It makes a lovely elegant drink with a layer of foam on top.
M: Un caffè shakerato (x2) . Shakerato means shaken.
K: It’s usually non alcoholic, but you can also ask for a shot of something, I like it with baileys or amaretto.
M: Or you can ask for rum or grappa, or anything you like, really! Occasionally Italians do this with other kinds of coffee, too. In Italy, when we add alcohol to coffee, we call it caffè corretto, literally “coffee corrected”.
K: Now we’ve added alcohol, it’s correct.
M: So you’ve already heard all the main types of coffee in Italian.
K: You might think that a place known for its coffee would have lots of varieties, but it’s actually the opposite.
M: You won’t find many drive-thrus where you can order five different flavours and extra whipped cream.
K: As is often the case with Italian culture, they like to keep things very simple, that’s often what makes it so good.
M: Let’s see if you can remember the different coffee types so you can order your coffee like a local.
K: What’s the word that Italians use when they want to order an espresso? It’s just the normal coffee in Italy.
[...]
M: Un caffè (x2).
K: What’s the word for an espresso with a small splash of milk? It literally means “stained coffee”. Or “a coffee stained”:
[...]
M: Un caffè macchiato (x2) .
K: What’s the type of coffee that Italians almost never have after a meal? It’s usually seen as a breakfast drink.
[...]
M: Un cappuccino (x2) .
K: What’s the name for the coffee that’s very milky, with a shot of espresso? It literally means “stained milk”.
M: Un latte macchiato (x2) .
K: And what a black coffee, so an espresso with water added to make it long?
[...]
M: Un caffè americano (x2) .
K: Finally, what’s a cold, sweet coffee drink that you can have? It literally means “shaken coffee”?
M: Un caffè shakerato (x2)
K: Now you’ve heard the main types of coffee, but what about more phrases to order them?
M: Like what to say if you want sugar, decaf or a particular type of milk.
K: To see these phrases so you can order confidently and get exactly what you want, click the link in the description to head over to our website, or go to italian.joyoflanguages.com/podcast and search for episode 206.
M: See you next time.
K: Or as we say in Italian.
Alla prossima!
Time to check your understanding and remember everything you just learned! Below you’ll find a mini-quiz and some vocabulary cards to help it all go in.
Quiz: Ordering Coffee in Italian
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Click here to take the quiz for this episode: Ordering Coffee in Italian
Vocabulary
Posso avere un caffè macchiato? = Can I have a caffè macchiato? (lit. stained coffee)
Prendo un caffè macchiato freddo = I’ll have a caffè macchiato (lit. stained coffee) with cold milk
Vorrei un latte macchiato = I’d like a latte macchiato (lit. stained milk)
Per me un caffè americano = An americano for me
Posso avere un caffè americano? = Can I have an americano?
Un cappuccino decaffeinato per favore = A decaf cappuccino please
Che caldo! Prendo un caffè shakerato = How hot! I’ll have a shaken iced coffee (lit. shaken coffee)
Vorrei un caffè = I’d like an espresso
Un caffè macchiato = an espresso with a bit of milk (lit. stained coffee)
Un caffè americano = An americano
Un latte macchiato = Hot milk with a bit of coffee (lit. stained milk)
Un caffè shakerato = A coffee, sugar and ice (lit. shaken coffee)
Flashcards: Ordering Coffee in Italian
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